


i can't wait for you (to come my way)

by efaeria



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Bouquets, Florist Bokuto Koutarou, M/M, Mutual Pining, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wedding Planner Akaashi Keiji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:28:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26788969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/efaeria/pseuds/efaeria
Summary: Just a few weeks before his client's wedding, Akaashi Keiji received the worse news he could ever receive that day: their order of 200 hydrangeas for the wedding fell through, and he didnothave a plan B.Talk about the worse wedding planner ever.Enter Bokuto Koutarou, florist, proud owner of EDEN Flowers and... Akaashi's savior?An inconvenient circumstance led to a chance encounter. Will this newfound relationship between wedding planner and florist blossom into something even more?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 21
Kudos: 108
Collections: My favorite haikyuu fics





	i can't wait for you (to come my way)

**Author's Note:**

> title from peach tree rascal's mariposa!
> 
> finally, i get to share this with you all ;; i've been working on this for days now and i'm so excited to share this with you all!  
> thank you belle for being my beta and being so helpful! ❤︎ ilysm
> 
> also, i made a [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7kRRsHx9KadNWfYNCgPvuS?si=VjSO7V4oStqxP327qHNkBg) for this fic, so feel free to check it out while you read!

A wise man once said: when the going gets rough, chug down three cups of coffee and move on. Except he didn’t know if that was such a wise idea, seeing as it was coming from a not-so-wise man. After all, Akaashi didn’t count himself as someone particularly wise right now.

After an exhausting meeting with a client that dragged on for hours, Akaashi could only yearn for his bed and a good night’s rest. Nothing was worse than dealing with a bridezilla. He could already feel the onset of a migraine coming, and Akaashi groaned. He knew he should have stopped after the second cup, but the all-nighter he pulled last night wasn’t helping his situation at all. He had no choice but to ignore the remnants of his sanity and down that cup like it was a glass of water.

At the moment, Akaashi’s body was 90% caffeine and 10% water. But, that’s okay - at least it got him to last the rest of the day. Yukie begged to differ.

He checked his watch for the time. It was a quarter to eight in the evening. He was just thankful that his coworkers let him go home early tonight. He didn’t know if he could take any more of the overtime.

_ Sleep. That’s what you need right now _ , he thought resolutely.  _ If you just get uninterrupted rest tonight, you can work twice as hard tomorrow. _

Just when he was about to enter his apartment complex, his phone rang loudly. He dug around in his suit’s pocket, sighing before accepting the call with a tired drawl, “Hello-?”

“Akaashi!” The urgency in Kaori’s voice immediately alarmed him awake. He braced himself for the bad news, knowing they wouldn’t be calling him if it wasn’t so urgent, “What’s wrong, Suzumeda-san?”

Kaori’s breath shuddered on the other line, obviously panicking, “We got a call from Inori-san! Apparently, there was a problem with the wholesaler! They couldn’t secure the hydrangeas before the wedding!”

His heart dropped. “What?” Akaashi breathed out, his expression falling, “What happened?”

“Their wholesaler had trouble with their hydrangeas this season! They said all of the flowers were ruined after a big thunderstorm that occurred over the weekend, and they didn’t have enough to supply the wedding!” Akaashi bit his lip, already running through their options mentally.

They always got their flowers from Inori-san. They have always been reliable. This was the first problem they’ve encountered with them, so Akaashi didn’t think that it could ever happen.  _ I shouldn’t have been too complacent _ , he mentally scolded himself. But it was no use crying over spilled milk now.

He needed to find a solution, now. That’s what his job entailed, after all.

“Don’t worry, Suzumeda-san,” Akaashi immediately changed courses, turning back into the street. “I will be looking around the area for flower shops that are still open. Can you go online and check if there are any that would be open early in the morning, if ever?”

“Got it!” then, she sighed, “I’m so sorry, Akaashi… I ended up bothering your supposed rest.”

Akaashi shook his head, then remembered she couldn’t see him through the other side of the call and replied with a tired chuckle, “It’s alright, Suzumeda-san. I’m glad you told me as soon as possible so we can find a solution early. We don’t want to run the risk of the bride being disappointed, do we?”

“A happy bride makes a happy life, huh?” he could hear her grin over the call and Akaashi agreed, “Right.”

“Then, I’ll leave it to you, Akaashi!” she finished, “I’ll send you what I can find as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, Suzumeda-san.”

As their phone call ended, Akaashi found himself in his quiet neighborhood, rubbing his nape wryly. Now, where could he find a flower shop that was still open at such an hour?

* * *

He’s been roaming the bustling streets of Tokyo for ten minutes now, and still no sign of flower shops. What if there weren’t any shops willing to take on their request? Akaashi bit his lip anxiously. What then?

But he couldn’t think of that right now. He needed to be determined enough that this would get resolved, or he was going to fail.  _ Do it for the bride _ , he mentally recited.  _ Do it for your clients who placed their trust in you. _

With a deep sigh and a renewed sense of hope, Akaashi continued scouring the streets. He wasn’t going home until he was sure that he couldn’t resolve it tonight. If only it wasn’t the flowers… if only it was anything else!

He pushed past against bodies, eyes darting left and right for anything. Akaashi rounded a corner, realizing that he had never ventured down the street before. His heart thumped loudly in his chest. Could this be it?

He walked down the less crowded area, most of the shops lining the street were either closed or in the process of closing down for the night. Akaashi picked up his pace. If his gut feeling was right, there must be a flower shop around here. The wedding planner sped down the sidewalk, keeping his eyes peeled for the distinct storefront of a flower shop. He was almost at the end of the street, and still, no sign of flowers.

This can’t be happening to him.

Just when he was starting to feel hopeful… Akaashi’s pace slowed down, his breath catching up to him. He placed his arms on his knees and pants lightly. He didn’t expect this day to be a leg day. God, he was pathetic.  _ I couldn’t even give what my client wanted _ , he thought self-deprecatingly.

**_You wouldn’t be in this situation if you had been more careful._ **

**_You just had to be careless, huh?_ **

He collapsed to a ball on his feet, burying his face in his knees with a broken sigh. What should he do now? Was there really no hope after all? Should he turn back and go home? Prepare himself for the slew of disappointed remarks, possibly a scolding?

Should he really admit that this situation was unresolvable? He inhaled a shaky breath and bit his lip, willing his frustrated tears to go away. “You’re an adult, Keiji. What the hell are you doing, crying over this?”

He was a  _ wedding planner _ , not a miracle worker. Even he knew this situation couldn’t be helped. Mistakes were made, and he had no choice but to accept that fact. But no matter how much he told himself off, Akaashi couldn’t stop the flood of tears already escaping the corner of his eyes. He sat there frozen in the middle of the deserted side-walk, struggling to keep himself together.

Akaashi continuously rubbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his suit jacket, sniffling, when he smelled it.

His senses caught a whiff of something in the air - something inexplicably familiar because he’s smelled it before. It was the distinct scent of tulips. He knew that because the last wedding he organized used them as motifs. Akaashi’s eyes widened. Was a flower shop nearby? He jumped back onto his feet and spun around in a tizzy, frantically looking for the source of the scent.

He looked to his right and just across the street from where Akaashi stood was a small shop, its storefront decorated with pots of flowers - the tulips he smelled earlier lined the front of the store in a diverse bout of colors - and its walls covered in beautiful Japanese wisterias, its vines making the shop look almost otherworldly. He saw the sign: it was still  _ open _ . EDEN Flowers.

_ Oh god. _ It’s a flower shop. He finally found one. After running around aimlessly, Akaashi was starting to feel like a maniac let loose. It was almost as if he was delirious from the lack of sleep, the adrenaline pumping through his veins and the coffee in his system. He wasn’t starting to imagine things, right?

Was this a sign? Was he finally saved?

The shop’s door opened and a man in a long sleeved shirt and an apron colored in melted gold came out of the store with gloves on. The wedding planner watched him take the pots in by a trolley, frozen in place and honestly, still in a daze. Wait, what the hell was he doing standing around like this?

He fought the urge to facepalm and instead looked to his left before sprinting across the street. Just when the man was about to turn his store’s sign to  _ closed _ , he yelled out, “Wait!”

The man turned to look at him in surprise, his eyes widening. He stared at Akaashi as he stood in front of him, wiping the sweat trickling down his face, “Can I help you?” he said as he gave Akaashi a tentative smile.

“I-” Akaashi took a glance into the storefront’s window, and saw the display of hydrangeas, the flowers that he had been running around looking for at so late at night, innocently sitting in one of the shop’s floral display racks.  _ They’re there! They’re really there! _ He inhaled, his hope welling up again and blurted out, “Can you save me?”

Still, with an unsure smile plastered on his face, the man asked, “Um… save you, how?”

At that very moment, the wedding planner just wanted to crawl in a hole somewhere and die.

* * *

It was no secret that Bokuto Koutarou loved his job.

Preparing the shop before opening hours was like second nature to him, just as de-thorning the roses was. He would water the flowers and check the inventory; double-checking,  _ triple-checking _ that everything was in order. The routine gave him a sense of comfort - almost as if life was reassuring him that today was going to be a good day.

But, the best part about preparation hours was this. Bokuto gently poured out the contents of the watering can in hand over the display of fresh, yellow gardenias and cooed, “Good morning, guys! How are you today?”

Often, people would question this weird behavior. Why would you talk to flowers? Who in their right mind would do that? To which Bokuto only shrugged in reply. They just didn’t understand. Flowers were - just like humans - living. To him, they weren’t just plants in pots. They were his companions, the passive witnesses to a lot of his many antics. In volumes, they spoke to humans in their own language; you could see it in the way they bloom, in their vibrant colors and even in the way they stimulate our senses.

As a florist, Bokuto was immensely interested in this so-called language of flowers.

His mother had taught him all he knew about them. They would spend summer afternoons in their family greenhouse, studying up on all the plants growing there. She would teach him all about the herbs they had planted, and what they did. The young florist could distinctly recall her calloused hands guiding his tiny ones through his first de-thorning experience. Bokuto remembered the stinging pain as he accidentally pricked one of his fingers on a thorn. His mother was quick to comfort him in his pain, stroking his hair after bandaging him up.

_ “Mama, why do roses have thorns?” she smiled at his tearful voice, before taking his injured hand in her own. “Because the thorns are protecting it,” she answered simply. _

_ He furrowed his eyebrows, “But won’t the rose be lonely and sad?” _

_ “Only if the rose lets its thorns get in the way,” she poked him lightly on the nose, smiling, “Koutarou, can you promise me one thing?” _

_ “What is it?” he asked innocently. He watched in wonder as his mother raised the single de-thorned rose and offered it to him. “Remember this: all roses have thorns and just like them, we have our own thorns.” _

_ “Thorns…” he whispered and his mother nodded, “And though we may think the thorns are there to protect us, it’s not always like that. It could also hold us back from what could be, do you understand?” _

_ “I think so…” Bokuto nodded slowly, “I’m a rose?” _

_ She smiled and agreed, “You are a rose.” _

_ “And I need to remove my thorns?” Bokuto asked and she laughed, “Hm, remove? No.” _

_ “Eh, why not?” Bokuto let out a whine as his mother pinched his cheeks, “Won’t it be better if the thorns were gone?” _

_ “But, where’s the fun in that?” she sighed, “Don’t you think having challenges is fun?” _

Bokuto smiled at the fond memory of those days and sighed, “All roses have thorns, huh?” His mother did have a knack for teaching him about life through flowers. He picked up one of the white roses and absentmindedly twirled it in his fingers.  _ Just like roses, humans had thorns, and these thorns didn’t make any of our lives easier. But it was up to us to make our lives better. _

**_Never let any of your thorns get in the way of what you want, Koutarou._ **

Why was he suddenly remembering this? Bokuto shook his head and sighed, folding the sleeves of his collared, long-sleeved white shirt and dusting off his apron. Glancing at the clock on the counter, Bokuto realized it was only five minutes until opening time.

He swiftly organized the counter, stowing away the unimportant stuff in the drawers below. The florist took the hand truck trolley containing the pots of flowers he decorated the storefront with then walked to the front door of the shop and went out, breathing in the early morning breeze. The sun shone down on him and he smiled. It was going to be a good day.

But no amount of preparation that morning could have prepared him for what was coming that night.

* * *

Akaashi entered the threshold of the shop, eyes darting around as he took in his surroundings. He let out a sigh of amazement at the charming sight of what lies inside the premises of the store: more of the Japanese wisterias were draped across the walls and meticulously organized on the displayed racks were the brightest flowers he had ever seen.

Not even Inori-san’s shop had these many flowers. The storefront window didn’t do any of these flowers justice, that was for sure. He now knew why it was named EDEN.

The wedding planner leaned down to steal a look at the rack of purple geraniums, its petals thoroughly in bloom. He breathed in the sweet-smelling scent and whispered, “Gorgeous.”

The man behind him laughed, “Thank you. My mom raises these flowers herself.”

Akaashi jumped in surprise and blushed in embarrassment.  _ Forgot myself for a minute there _ , he thought, clearing his throat before opting to direct his attention back to the flowers, “They’re really nice.”

“Oh, thank you,” the man offered him a hand and a beaming smile, “By the way, I’m Bokuto Koutarou, at your service!” Akaashi gratefully took his hand and shook it with a smile of his own, “I am Akaashi Keiji. It is nice to meet you, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto led him to the counter and the florist unearthed a long-legged stool from the backroom and offered him a seat. Akaashi sat and sighed in relief. In his panic, he hadn’t realized he had been so exhausted and suddenly, the weight of his exhaustion crashed down on him. It was fortunate he chanced upon this shop in his flustered state.

“So, what’s this about saving you, Akaashi?” Bokuto asked as he placed a cup of tea down in front of the man. Akaashi muttered in thanks and winced, “Can you please forget about that, Bokuto-san?”

Bokuto settled in his own seat across the counter with a grin, leaning his chin against his arm that was propped atop the counter, “Okay, Akaashi.”

Sighing, Akaashi pulled out his card holder and presented one of his calling cards to the man in front of him. Bokuto straightened up in his seat, accepted it and read out, “Akaashi Keiji, Wedding Planner. Fukurodani Events and Stylings.”

“We have a wedding in weeks,” Akaashi started, sipping the tea in between, “and our usual affiliated flower shop couldn’t follow through with the order because there was a mishap with their wholesaler. We needed to find a shop that could provide us with 200 hydrangeas to decorate the pillars and the ornate arch the bride asked for…”

Bokuto hummed, “I see. I can check with my mom right now, if you want?” he reached for his cellphone and Akaashi started, flustered, “Oh no! You can check tomorrow! It’s so late in the evening-”

“But you look like you can’t rest well not knowing things are okay,” Bokuto reasoned, eyes looking at him worriedly. The florist shrugged, “Besides, I’m pretty sure my mom’s still awake. It’s only 8 in the evening, not twelve.”

Akaashi’s heart warmed. Bokuto was such a considerate man. He was so thankful he could cry.

The wedding planner watched him dial the call and smile brightly as the call picked up, “Hi mom! How are you?” he hummed affirmatively, “Yup! Everything’s good on my end!” then the florist flushed bright red and stammered, “N-no! Mom! No! I told you I don’t have the time-” seeing Akaashi staring at him, he cleared his throat and steered the conversation away from the previous subject, “Mom. I didn’t call about that!” Akaashi heard the faint sound of laughing from the other line and smiled despite himself.

Bokuto sighed, “I need 200 hydrangeas for a wedding.” Akaashi breathed in, hopefully anticipating good news. “Mom, I’m  _ not _ getting married.” Bokuto looked mentally exhausted and Akaashi stifled a chuckle of his own.

Bokuto fixed him with a small grin before talking into the phone, “It’s for my client. He’s a wedding planner.”

“Yup, 200 hydrangeas.”

Then he grinned widely, “Really?” Akaashi took that as a good sign. The florist covered the phone and asked, “When do you need it?”

“By the 25th. Next month,” Akaashi clarified.

“Yeah, he needs it on the 25th of April,” Bokuto said into the phone. They both waited patiently then Bokuto’s eyes lit up, “Really? That’s great!” He gave Akaashi a thumbs-up before rummaging in the drawers under the counter, “Yeah, sure! I’ll pencil it in, then! Thanks, mom! I love you!”

He ended the call wiggling his eyebrows at the man with a proud smile, “How’s that for saving you, Akaashi?”

“You did,” Akaashi breathed out as he slumped in his seat and rested his head on the counter, “Thank you, Bokuto-san… so much.”

Bokuto waved him off, “I’m glad to help, Akaashi! Anything for a new friend!”

_ What happened to calling me a client earlier? _ A smile worked its way into the wedding planner’s lips and for a moment, he stayed like that, comforted by the fact that the flower mishap was resolved. Then, he got off the stool and bowed low, “Thank you so much, Bokuto-san. I really can’t thank you enough.”

“Oh no!” Bokuto laughed, frantically waving his hands, “It’s okay! I’m just glad I can help you!”

Akaashi straightened up and nodded, a smile on his lips and nudged his head to the door, “I should probably get going. I don’t want to bother you any more than I already have…”

“Please, you’re not a bother at all!” Bokuto shook his head before hurrying to the backroom and called out, “Can you wait for a few minutes, though? I want to give Akaashi something!”

Give him something? As if saving his ass wasn’t enough… Akaashi pushed those thoughts away and nodded, settling back on the stool, “Okay. I’ll wait here then, Bokuto-san.”

For a few minutes, Akaashi sat there, taking in the scents around him. He whipped out his phone and snapped a few pictures, smiling at one in particular. A single white rose laid on the counter, its stem de-thorned.

Akaashi reached for it and raised it to his nose, inhaling the scent distinctive to roses. It was nice. All of the flowers seemed to be well taken care of. Bokuto looked like he really did care about flowers.

Bokuto emerged from the backroom with a bouquet in hand, smiling sheepishly, “Sorry to make you wait!”

“Oh, no, it’s quite alright-” Akaashi placed the rose down, blinking as Bokuto tried handing over the bouquet, “What is this, Bokuto-san?”

“A gift!” Bokuto eagerly presented the bouquet of flowers covered in black and gold fabric paper. Akaashi has never in his life seen something as gorgeous as the bouquet he was being offered right now. It was painfully obvious to him that it would be such a waste on him.

The wedding planner’s eyes widened, “I can’t possibly accept this-”

“Why not?” A pout was already making its way onto Bokuto’s lips, “I made it especially for Akaashi… if you’re not going to accept it, who will?”

I t was too pretty for someone like him to accept! How could he even think of accepting such a gorgeous bouquet? But Bokuto was adamant. “If you’re worried about the costs, it’s okay! This is made with the leftover flowers of the day and rather than let them wilt, I thought ‘why not just give it to Akaashi as a sign of our blossoming friendship?’”

“If you don’t accept it, won’t the flowers be too pitiful then?” Bokuto sighed. It would be such a waste. The wedding planner looked down at the bouquet in the florist’s hand, and the flowers stared at him as if he was betraying them.

Akaashi bit his lip. 

Bokuto tried again, giving him his own version of the puppy dog eyes, “Please?”

Now, who was Akaashi to refuse? He took the bouquet of pink flowers gratefully before bidding Bokuto goodnight with a shy smile. The florist gave him such a contagiously happy grin that Akaashi couldn’t help smiling all the way home.

He stared down at the bouquet before holding it up to his nose and breathed in its scent and thought,  _ maybe this day wasn’t that bad after all. _

* * *

Bokuto followed the wedding planner’s silhouette until his dark, messy locks finally disappeared from view and sighed. Akaashi Keiji was a really gorgeous man - one that rivaled even the most elegant of flowers he knew. Bokuto still couldn’t believe what occurred tonight. 

The florist stared down at the single-stemmed dahlia he held in hand. Bokuto grinned to himself. Akaashi suited the bouquet well -  _ an elegant bouquet for an elegant-looking man _ .

* * *

Maybe it was the relief of having resolved the flower mishap, but Akaashi slept well last night. The minute he changed out of his work attire, he crashed onto his bed, out like a light. And maybe he slept a little too well… Because he was running late for the first time in months. “Oh, Akaashi!” Yukie exclaimed as he stood by the door, looking slightly disheveled. “You’re later than usual.”

“Good morning, Akaashi,” Kaori added. Konoha popped out of his office and waved, “G’morning. You worked hard yesterday, man.”

Akaashi hurried into the office, panting lightly and glanced at his wrist watch, “Good morning, everyone! Sorry, I got in late... Thanks for last night, Suzumeda-san!”

“Sure,” Kaori smiled, “I’m just sorry I couldn’t help much…”

“No, no!” Akaashi shook his head, “You helped me a lot. Thank you.”

Yukie joined in with a grin, “Hey, Akaashi? I put some files on your desk to look over before your meeting with the new client.”

“Also,” she winced, “You might want to prepare yourself for an earful, because Sayuri-san doesn’t seem pleased about what happened last night.”

Akaashi nodded, “Thank you.” That was understandable, and he did want to apologize for the inconvenience he caused. While straightening his clothing, Akaashi opened the door to his office with a sigh and settled his bag on the chair, blinking in confusion. Sitting neatly wrapped in some pale blue, non-woven fabric was one of the most captivating flowers he had ever seen. The combination of blue and white flowers meshed prettily together, making a harmonious feast to the eyes.

Surprised, Akaashi looked for a note, even though he had a pretty good hunch who it was from… He could always be wrong, maybe it’s for his client?

“He couldn’t have…” the wedding planner muttered. Then he saw it. A small square envelope stuck out of the bouquet, inviting him to go and take a look. Akaashi found himself biting his lower lip as his heart thumped heavily in his chest.

He took the envelope and carefully opened it, and inside was a small note. Akaashi smiled as he read out its contents.  _ Wow, this handwriting is really messy _ , he thought, stifling a laugh.

**_Have a dose of good luck for today! :D_ **

**_-B.K._ **

Along with the note came a pressed four-leaf clover.

Akaashi stared at it in shock. Weren’t these hard to find? He remembered being a child, scouring around the riverbank with his friends, looking for that lucky four-leaf clover, and he had never, ever once found one...  _ But if there was someone who could find one, it would be Bokuto-san… _ Smiling, he placed it in the chest pocket of his suit, and took the bouquet in hand.

Akaashi popped his head out of his door and asked, “Can I borrow a vase?”

* * *

It was only seven in the evening, but Akaashi was already on the way home. What an unusual night. All the overtime he’d been doing these days made him so used to going home at the wee hours of the night, but such was the fate of people in his industry. He’s long accepted that.

He tiredly straightened out his suit jacket and felt something in his front pocket. The wedding planner stuck his hand in the pocket and pulled the item out. It was the four-leaf clover Bokuto had snuck into his letter.

Looking around, Akaashi noticed he was close to the flower shop. Maybe he should pay the florist a visit? Just to thank him for the flowers, that’s all. Plus, he did have to schedule a client meeting with him, so it wasn’t totally a casual visit.

With that thought, he let his feet lead the way.

* * *

The door to the shop opened with a light click. Akaashi stepped in as he heard a familiar voice greeting him from the back of the shop, “Good evening! Welcome to EDEN!”

He gazed at the flowers along the way as he made his way to the counter with a smile. He knocked twice on the counter before greeting, “Good evening, Bokuto-san.”

Then he heard a loud thud and a crash from the back. Akaashi jumped in place, blinking. “A-Are you okay in there, Bokuto-san?” he called out worriedly. Bokuto emerged from the backroom with a sheepish smile, dusting off his clothing.

He nodded, leaning against the counter coolly, “I’m fine. Hello, Akaashi! It’s nice to see you again!”

“Hello.” Bokuto immediately handed him a stool, and Akaashi nodded politely with a small smile, “Thank you.”

“What brought you here this time?” Bokuto rounded back to behind the counter and with a grin, asked, “Anything I have to save you from again?”

The wedding planner stifled a chuckle, “Not this time, no. I wanted to thank you for the flowers, and I still think you shouldn’t have bothered,” he emphasized and Bokuto only shrugged casually, “and well, that the client wanted to schedule a meeting for the flowers.”

Nodding, Bokuto smiled and took out a calendar, humming, “For the meeting… I’m free next Wednesday, if they’re available?”

Akaashi nodded, “I’ll inform them. Thank you, Bokuto-san.”

Then, silence enveloped the room. Now that they’ve exhausted all their topics, there really wasn’t anything more to talk about. Akaashi wasn’t really good at holding a conversation. He cursed his lack of communication skills. Bokuto cleared his throat hesitantly, “Is that all?” Akaashi paused before saying, “I guess so…”

“I’m sure you’re tired,” Bokuto started, “You could have just sent me a text. You do have my number, yeah?” he nudged his head at Akaashi’s phone.

Was he being a bother, coming here after all? “Oh, am I perhaps bothering you?” Akaashi bit his lip, getting off the stool, “Do you have plans prior to this visit? I should probably take my leave then, Bokuto-san.”

Maybe he had a date. Akaashi was certain that someone as considerate and kind as Bokuto would definitely have someone special. What was he doing, visiting this late on a Friday night?

Bokuto frantically waved his concerns off, “No, no! I don’t!” Akaashi was really misunderstanding. What would a man like him be better off doing on a Friday night? He would just probably be holed up in his apartment, watching reruns of anime on TV.

“You… don’t?”

“Yeah,” he clarified.

“Why not?” Akaashi was so sure he had a date, at least. Maybe not a special someone, but a date seemed to be closer to what he knew about the man.

Bokuto raised a brow at the wedding planner, “Are you asking me out? Is that what this is about?” Akaashi turned red and stumbled over his words, “W-What? No! I was just-”

Him? Date someone like Bokuto-san? No way! Why would someone so nice like him want someone like Akaashi, a dime-a-dozen wedding planner with no redeeming qualities? Plus, there was absolutely no way he would initiate a relationship with someone he met at work. Akaashi may have his bouts of unwise decisions, but this wasn’t going to be one of them.

The florist laughed, “I was joking, Akaashi!”

Of course he was. Akaashi wanted to hit himself. He chuckled instead, “Right.” He ignored the pained ache in his chest and pointedly changed the conversation, “About the flowers. I really liked them.”

“I’m glad, because Akaashi’s going to accept more of them from here on out,” Bokuto announced with a proud huff.

“What?” The wedding planner’s eyes widened, “Please tell me you’re kidding?”

“Nope,” Bokuto grinned.

“You shouldn’t bother, Bokuto-san!” Akaashi shook his head, “Those flowers are wasted on me…”

“No, they’re not!” Bokuto protested with a frown, “Do they not make you happy?”

“No, no, they do!” In fact, they made him too happy. Akaashi sighed, “It’s just… I’m constantly worried thinking that doing it will eventually run you out of business.”

Winking, Bokuto cheekily replied, “Don’t worry! I won’t have Akaashi running around so late at night looking for a supplier.” Akaashi blinked once, twice before erupting into a fit of chuckles. He wiped a stray tear from his eye and leaned against the counter, “Thank you, Bokuto-san. I’m counting on you then.”

* * *

Bokuto was obviously a man of his word because every morning, Akaashi would arrive at the office to the sight of flowers lovingly wrapped in pretty fabric paper lying on his desk. It would have been all fine and dandy if his coworkers weren’t constantly breathing down his neck, asking about this nonexistent ‘mystery admirer’.

Yukie and Konoha were particularly interested in everything. Frankly, Akaashi just wanted to get some time to himself without being bombarded by questions so early in the morning.

“Are you really not dating, at all?” Yukie asked, pouting as she lightly poked at the flowers, “These don’t look like thank-you-for-being-my-friend bouquets!”

“Are there even thank-you-for-being-my-friend bouquets?” Konoha asked dryly, “Dude, Akaashi - the guy likes you. It’s obvious.”

“He does not,” Akaashi asserted, “He’s just being a nice person. He said it’s to ‘cheer me on for work’. That’s all there is to it.”

Konoha snorted. “I know a lie when I hear one.”

“He sounds like a nice man, Akaashi, why not just date him?” Yukie grinned teasingly.

“You know I can’t date people from work, Shirofuku-san,” he reiterated, already exhausted, “That’s unethical.” He deals with a lot of people for work. He can’t be so unprofessional as to date a florist he was closely working with.

“But you hang out outside of work anyway, don’t you?” Komi asked, joining in on the conversation before handing over a pile of papers, “Here. These are the forms for the catering service.”

Akaashi rubbed his temples before accepting the papers with a groan, “It’s just a casual thing! We’re also friends. We can’t be friends, is that it?”

“No, you can,” Komi piped in, “It’s just you can be more, if you know what I mean?”

Konoha laughed and raised a hand for a high-five, “Nice one, Komi.”

Komi gratefully accepted the high-five and turned back to a blank-faced Akaashi. They all stared as he waved them off and pointedly ignored their presence. It was no use arguing with these guys. They wouldn’t understand.

Now, back to work.

* * *

“Anyone open for a bet?” Konoha announced to the room. Akaashi was out of the office for a meeting with a new client. If there was a good time for this, it would be now. “Well?” he asked again, looking around the room.

The rest of the group looked at him skeptically. Konoha always did this, and the result hasn’t always been great. Not after they bet on Yukie’s lunch for a month. After they were ratted out by Kaori, who was slightly apologetic, they were cautious to start anything up again.

“Bet? About what?” Washio asked. Sarukui flopped back onto his seat with a sigh, “I don’t have money to waste on you, Konoha. Sorry, dude.”

“Is this about the lady downstairs?” Komi sighed, “He’s not interested in you, man.”

Konoha turned red, “I know that, idiot! It’s not about that!”

Kaori blinked, “Then, what is it about?”

Konoha grinned in response, “Akaashi and his loverboy, of course.” Onaga snorted, “We all know they’re dating, senpai.”

“They aren’t,” Yukie sighed, “It’s a tragedy, really.”

“How are they not still dating?” Washio asked, raising a brow, “Isn’t he at least courting Akaashi?” They all stared at Akaashi’s office, filled to the brim with flowers. “I can’t even see his desk anymore.”

“Bees could probably live inside there,” Sarukui added thoughtfully.

“I can’t even walk inside his office without dissolving into a sneezing fit,” Konoha scoffed. “My life is literally at risk here, people.” Onaga looked grossed out.

“Who is he, anyway?” Sarukui inquired lazily, “I haven’t seen this guy. But you went to that one meeting with Akaashi, didn’t you Kaori-san?”

Kaori nodded, smiling, “He was a very nice man. I think he suits our Akaashi well, to be honest.”

“So there’s a chance?” Konoha hummed before dropping a hundred yen coin on his desk, “I bet a hundred yen they’ll be dating by the end of the week!”

“Only a hundred? Cheapskate.”

“What? Fine! Five-hundred then!” Konoha offered with a scowl, “That’s my final offer.” He had made dumb decisions in life, but Konoha was not going to spend more than five-hundred yen on a pointless bet. There was a reason he had to work hard to earn money.

Yukie sighed and rolled her eyes, “Should we even be doing this? This is Akaashi’s life, you know.”

“Don’t you want to see him loosen up, Yukie?” Konoha rolled his eyes, “Dude’s literally burying himself in work everyday.”

“It would be nice to see him rushing to a date instead of a meeting once in a while,” admitted Kaori.

“See?” Konoha grinned, “Now, who’s with me?” When no one said anything, Konoha sighed, “Even for a thousand yen?”

“If you make it three, I’ll join,” Sarukui quipped.

“Dude, that’s straight up theft!” Konoha protested.

Komi shrugged, “I mean, you started it…”

“What about whoever wins gets to slave Konoha around?” Yukie suggested cheekily. Konoha was horrified. “What? No! No way!” Apparently, that suggestion quickly piqued everyone’s interest.

“Now I’m interested,” Komi grinned. Onaga hummed, “A chance to order Konoha-senpai around, huh?”

“What the hell? Guys!” He couldn’t believe this. Yukie was a demon. Washio shrugged, “I’m in.”

“Washio?!”

“A bet that doesn’t require me to lose money and a chance to slave Konoha around?” Sarukui laughed, “Count me in!”

“You guys are horrible, horrible people,” he grimaced, “I hope you all work overtime for the next three days.”

“What the hell, Konoha?”

* * *

Akaashi found himself spending his hours after work more often in Bokuto’s flower shop, and the florist was more than willing to accommodate him every time. They would often chat about their day over some food, and bond over some stories about unreasonable clients and customers.

Or they would just stay like this.

Akaashi watched as the florist’s nimble fingers moved with precision, twirling the floral tape around the shortened stem of the flower, thoroughly covering it. After that, he then wrapped some floral wire around the stem. Humming under his breath, Bokuto took the accent flowers and greenery to be included in the boutonniere, surrounding the focal flower: the pale blue hydrangea.

The same flowers that brought him here, in this very situation he was in. Akaashi almost wanted to laugh.

Bokuto then proceeded to re-wrap the arrangement of flowers with the floral tape and re-arranged the floral wire before attaching a pin. Bokuto grinned and held the finished product up to Akaashi’s face exclaiming, “Ta-da! How does it look?”

The wedding planner looked in awe. “It looks absolutely wonderful, Bokuto-san.”

The florist beamed at that and puffed his chest out, “Hehe, thanks! I’m thinking of adding a few more accents though, but this will pretty much be the whole thing!”

“I’m sure it will look amazing,” Akaashi said sincerely. “Especially at the wedding.”

“I can’t wait to see the wedding,” Bokuto placed the boutonniere on the counter, “and see how Akaashi is at his job,” he finished with a cheeky grin.

“I’m an average at best, Bokuto-san.”

The florist shook his head, “I doubt that so much.”

“Why?”

“Akaashi wouldn’t be running around at such a late hour looking for a flower shop if he wasn’t good at his job.” Akaashi chuckled wryly, “You mean I wouldn’t be running around like that if I had been a bit more careful.”

“No,” Bokuto gave him a stern look, “You didn’t know any better, Akaashi. Stuff happens, alright? That wasn’t your fault. Besides, if it hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have met, yeah?” he chuckled.

Akaashi shook his head with a fond smile on his face, “I guess.”

* * *

“Hey, Akaashi?”

“Hm?”

The wedding planner sat by the counter as usual as Bokuto tended to the flowers. He had volunteered to help, just like Akaashi did every time he came to visit after work, but the florist was adamant he remained seated like that, saying he was grateful enough for his company.

“What’s your ideal wedding like?”

That question caught him off-guard. For a wedding planner, Akaashi had no idea what he himself would want for a wedding. He knew what the clients could possibly want. It was his job to know. But himself? That was another question.

He didn’t know if he wanted it to be held at a chapel or in a garden… if he wanted it to be a traditional Japanese wedding or something more Western… would he and his spouse-to-be wear a  _ hakama _ or tuxes? What about the cake? Would three tiers be fine? The color scheme? Any flower arrangements?

He didn’t know what to say. For once in his life, Akaashi Keiji had no clue what he wanted.

“I… haven’t really thought about it,” Akaashi admitted truthfully, “It may be weird hearing it come from someone working in the wedding industry, but I have absolutely no idea.”

“So you haven’t thought of it? At all?” Bokuto sounded surprised. Akaashi didn’t know why he was so surprised. It wasn’t like Akaashi had a slew of men and women lining up to marry him. There was no one at all.

“No,” he clarified. “What about you, Bokuto-san?”

Bokuto gave him a wide smile, “Of course I have!”

He smiled at the excitement in his voice, “Then, what do you want for your wedding?”

“Hm,” Bokuto hummed thoughtfully, “I want it to be a garden wedding, surrounded by family and friends! Something small, but grand! The flowers… I want there to be a ton of roses! Or maybe some red tulips? Then, for the clothes - I want to wear a  _ hakama _ ! The cake should be really huge! Huge enough to make us step onto a chair just for us to reach the top to cut it!” he rambled on and on, the smile never leaving his face.

Akaashi felt his heart thump loudly in his chest. This wasn’t good.

“That sounds beautiful, Bokuto-san,” he paused, “If ever you require a wedding planner, you can call me. I would be glad to help,” Akaashi said with a solemn smile. 

Bokuto’s smile slipped off his face for a second before it returned, albeit a little toned down compared to earlier and he nodded, “Okay, Akaashi!”

Akaashi didn’t notice the determined look on the florist’s face. He couldn’t, not when he was still engrossed with the thought of red roses and a five-tier wedding cake, and the image of himself in a  _ hakama _ alongside the beaming florist, hands intertwined.

* * *

“Konoha-san, good morning!”

Konoha found their two clients, Kobayashi-san and Himura-san sitting in the designated meeting room. He bowed with a polite smile, “Good morning! Do you two have a meeting with Akaashi today?”

“Oh yes,” Kobayashi smiled, “we’re ironing out a few details for the program at the reception.”

“Akaashi’s been working on it for days now,” Konoha started, “I’m sure it will be a great reception.”

“Thank you,” she earnestly replied, “we really appreciate everything you have all been doing to make this wedding special.”

“More than anything, just seeing you both happy and content with our work makes everything worthwhile,” Konoha responded with sincerity. The groom-to-be busied himself with the papers on the table. “Where is Akaashi?”

“Akaashi-san just went to get photo copies of the necessary things,” Kobayashi replied. “Moving on from that, Konoha-san?”

“Um, yes?” He grew slightly intimidated at the woman’s expectant stare. Man, women could be scary when they wanted to be.

“How is Akaashi-san?” she whispered with a grin, “You know, he and that florist… Bokuto-san was his name, right dear?”

Her fiance nodded in agreement, “Bokuto Koutarou.”

“Right! Bokuto-san!” she exclaimed happily before whispering, “Are they dating?”

God, even the clients know about their budding romance. Konoha wanted to straight up vomit with how straight out of a drama this is all turning out to be. He laughed, “Oh, I think you have to ask Akaashi about that. But I can confirm that the number of flowers we receive increases by the day.”

“I saw the flowers!” she giggled, “Is that all from Bokuto-san after all?”

“Well, there’s no one except a florist who could send that much flowers without becoming broke,” he shrugged. Flowers didn’t come cheap. They were super expensive, especially judging by how those bouquets looked…

Kobayashi laughed, “I knew it! There was something there!”

“Oh?” Konoha grinned, “Did something happen, Kobayashi-san?”

She shook her head, “Well, I don’t know about other people, but the way Bokuto-san looked at him… That wasn’t pure friendly, that’s for sure,” she finished with a wink.

Well, damn. There may still be hope for Konoha, after all.  _ Pull through for me, Akaashi _ , he mentally begged.

* * *

The day of the wedding came and Akaashi wasn’t so sure if he was ready for the onslaught of nerves and jitters he would inevitably be experiencing all throughout the event. He had worked so hard for this, he was desperate to keep everything running smooth.

With steel determination and three cups of coffee in his system, Akaashi arrived at the location of today’s wedding: a small yet extravagant-looking chapel. The pews were already lined with the pillars where the hydrangeas would be placed, and the red carpet was already rolled all the way from the altar to outside the chapel doors.

Akaashi breathed in and out before nodding to himself.  _ Let’s do this _ , he thought determinedly.

* * *

  
  


The walkie-talkie crackled to life and a grainy voice sounded from the other side of the call, “Akaashi! Did the caterers call already?”

Akaashi pressed the button to reply, “They did. They said they were already on their way to the location of the reception to set up. Washio-san should already be there to help with supervising.”

Just as he ended his reply, it crackled to life again. This time, it was a frantic voice, “There’s a problem with the lights and sounds for later, Akaashi! I can’t contact them… No one’s answering!”

He rubbed his temple, feeling a migraine coming, “I’ll try and call them. Can you go and make sure everything aside from lights and sounds are okay, though? What about the band?”

“They said they’re ready to head out to the reception in an hour.”

“Okay,” Akaashi sighed, “Thanks.” This was really...

“Stressed so early in the morning?”

Akaashi turned around in surprise, blinking, “Bokuto-san?!”

The florist grinned at him before straightening out his clothing, “You look tired. The wedding hasn’t even started yet,” he teased.

Akaashi rolled his eyes and a small smile settled on his lips, “It’s the most hectic before the event. Everything needs to be perfect, after all.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here, though,” the wedding planner said, “you really came.”

“I did say I want to see you in action,” Bokuto shrugged, “That, and I need to make sure the flowers were delivered safely onsite.” Akaashi was about to reply with a quip of his own, when the walkie-talkie sounded loudly in his hand again and a voice came on, “The photographer and videographer are here!”

“Right,” Akaashi said into the device, “Lead them to the chapel, please.”

“Got it!” The cracking noise died down and Bokuto nudged his head to his staff and the crates holding the flowers, “I’ll go ahead and see you later then, Akaashi. We need to set-up the arch now. Plus, I don’t want to bother you when you’re so busy,  _ Mr. Wedding Planner _ ,” he teased .

Akaashi shook his head fondly at him before nodding, “Sure. I’ll see you later, Bokuto-san.”

But before Bokuto could go far, Akaashi called out to him again, “Oh and Bokuto-san?”

The florist turned his head back to him with a raised brow. The wedding planner gave him a sincere smile, “You look great today in that suit.”

Then Akaashi walked off, leaving him dumbstruck and flustered. What he didn’t know was how the wedding planner was equally shaken. The wedding planner sped off, mumbling, “How could I say that?  _ Oh god, oh god _ …”

* * *

The flowers really were gorgeous. Akaashi almost gaped in amazement as he walked into the chapel after assisting the bridesmaids with a last minute request.

The ornate arch of hydrangeas that the bride asked for sat in front of the door’s chapel, some of the petals making a pretty trail of color on the red carpet. Akaashi walked under the arch and looked around the chapel with a satisfied smile. Everything was finally coming together.

In all his years working as a wedding planner, it never ceased to amaze him seeing all the things he continuously poured hours over materialize in front of him like this. It was surreal.

The guests were starting to arrive, and that meant he should be doing his final checks. He straightened his suit up with a deep sigh. Only an hour left on the clock, and it was go time.

This was it. After this, he wouldn’t be running around late at night, trying to make things happen. Or at least until the next wedding. Akaashi wouldn’t have to stay up for a while or toil over details left and right. And he wouldn’t have to meet with Bokuto anymore. He wouldn’t have to visit the florist at his shop, they couldn’t hang out after work anymore, or meet as often as they did.

Bokuto would have no reason left to send him flowers, or talk to him. And he would have no reason to either.

Despite knowing it couldn’t be helped, Akaashi felt a hollow ache pang in his chest nonetheless. Maybe this was better? It wasn’t like they could be anything other than business partners, anyway.

So, why did he feel so… sad?

* * *

The wedding commenced without a hitch. Akaashi stood to the side, watching everything unfold with meticulous eyes. He watched as the bride, Kobayashi-san, walked with her arm wrapped around her father’s with a flourish in her walk, her dress making a beautiful white trail. The groom stood at the altar. Hirumi-san, the normally stoic and straitlaced man Akaashi knew, was tearing up. The wedding planner almost teared up himself, seeing the happy couple in front of their family and friends.

And once again he was reminded of why people loved weddings, and why they even married.

Suddenly, Akaashi was reminded all over again of what made his job so rewarding, and so worth it. He was a man who believed in love, but he didn’t believe it could ever happen to someone like him. Being a wedding planner continuously proved to him that even if he couldn’t be in their position, he could always celebrate a love like theirs.

From the other side of the chapel, he caught a pair of striking golden eyes. Akaashi stared into Bokuto’s eyes. Were they always that intense?

Bokuto gave him a broad smile and a wave before mouthing ‘you’re amazing.’ Akaashi’s smile widened and he responded with a small wave and a ‘thank you.’

The florist tucked his hands in his pants’ pockets, leaning back against the wall. It took everything in Akaashi to pull his eyes away from him. The man was too attractive for his own good.

He had no doubt in his heart that he would meet someone nice today. He smiled wryly to himself. Weddings were prime times for meeting someone special after all. It always seemed to happen in movies… He ignored the lingering feeling of intense longing lodged in his chest, and focused on the wedding. It wouldn’t do for the wedding planner to be so absentminded on the job.

_ Get yourself together. _

* * *

The reception was now in full-swing. Akaashi almost wanted to drop dead then and there. He rubbed his shoulders as minutely as possible and groaned. Now that the wedding ceremony was over, he could stand to relax a bit. Washio did insist he had everything in order…

He consulted the clipboard he held in hand and saw that it was time for the bouquet toss. Akaashi approached the host and whispered into her ear with a smile. The host announced over the mic with an excited smile, “Everyone, gather around! It’s time for the long-awaited bouquet toss!”

Akaashi watched as a gaggle of women crowded the front of the platform stage, wanting a chance at being the one to catch the bride’s bouquet. Someone went to stand next to him with a sigh. Konoha nudged Akaashi, a knowing look on his face, “What, not going in there?”

“Why would I?”

“To marry flower boy, duh.”

“He has a name, Konoha-san.”

“That’s what you chose to focus on?”

The wedding planner sighed, “I keep telling you - our relationship is not like that. Bokuto-san’s just a really nice guy who likes flowers.”

“Yeah, and I’m blind,” he scoffed, “Can you hear yourself right now?”

“I don’t know what else to tell you…” his words trailed off, “After this, we’re not seeing each other anymore, anyway.”

“And why is that?”

Akaashi shrugged, “He’s only our substitute supplier. We’re still affiliated with Inori-san’s shop, in case you forgot? After this wedding, there’s no reason to see each other. Our relationship is strictly professional.”

“It could be something more, you know. If you let it happen,” Konoha suggested.  _ Come on, admit it! _

“No,” he shook his head, “It can’t.” There was no way Bokuto would like him like that. Akaashi wasn’t anything special, after all. He wasn’t sure if he’s someone worthy of being loved… Even Akaashi himself didn’t know what he felt for the man. They were business partners, and their relationship is purely professional . It was a relationship he would want to maintain from here on out, so getting involved with him romantically wouldn’t be a good idea.

Rolling his eyes, Konoha pushed him to the crowd Akaashi let out a yelp as he struggled to keep his balance. The wedding planner stared at his colleague in shock. The crowd began to count down from five… four… three… two… The countdown ended and the bouquet sailed over their heads before making its way into the wedding planner’s hands.

What just happened?

“Annnnd the bouquet flew into the man responsible for making this event possible - Akaashi Keiji-san! Congratulations!” His cheeks and all the way to the tip of his ears flushed red.

How did this just happen to him?

The people cheered loud and the bride gave him a knowing look and a wink before taking the mic for herself, “Congratulations, Akaashi-san!” Why did she look like she knew something he didn’t? Akaashi saw the moment Konoha’s jaw dropped and blinked. What was wrong now? The rest of the Fukurodani gestured to him to turn around. Akaashi asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yukie looked like she wanted to wrangle him herself. “Just turn around!” Confused, he turned around and was greeted with the most unexpected sight.

Bokuto Koutarou was on one knee, raising a bouquet with both hands and a hopeful smile on his lips.

Akaashi stared at him in shock. Is this real? Everyone looked at them expectantly and murmured amongst them with hushed voices. “B-Bokuto-san! What are you doing?” he moved to hold onto the florist’s arm, his embarrassment seeping into the tone of his voice, “Please stand up! Why are you kneeling like that-?”

“Akaashi.”

The wedding planner held in his breath at the gentleness of his voice. Bokutoo took the hand clutching onto his arm and instead wrapped it in his own, eyes looking into his determinedly. “Akaashi,” he repeated firmly.

“Yes..?”

Bokuto breathed in before whispering with a smile, “You know, I’ve always been captivated by you.” Akaashi didn’t know what to say to that. What could you say to someone who looked at you like this? The wedding planner opted to just stay silent and let him do the talking.

“The night I met you, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you,” confessed Bokuto. “I… just… It’s been a while since I’ve met someone as beautiful as you.”

The women around them visibly swooned and Akaashi stood there dumbly. Bokuto rubbed his thumb over the back of his palm, his broad smile only widening with every word that left his lips, “Akaashi was such a nice man, and so pretty to boot, I couldn’t resist sending you flowers everyday!”

“So,” he paused, his face turning serious, “I was really sad when Akaashi insinuated I would marry anyone other than him. How could I marry someone other than you?”

The crowd gasped as Bokuto fiddled with his back pocket, pulling out a small, blue box. He struggled to open it with one hand and held it up, the bouquet of red roses in his other hand, “I want to make you the happiest man alive, and make you feel so loved you would never doubt whether you deserved it… I want to give you flowers everyday, and embrace you everyday… I want to rant to you about my day and I want you to do the same with me.”

“I want to go home knowing you’d be there waiting for me,” Bokuto paused and Akaashi’s breath caught in his throat. Inhaling a deep breath, Bokuto continued, staring into his eyes, “Along with this bouquet of flowers representing my love, will you accept me, Keiji?”

The wedding planner stared down at the simple yet elegant band in the box. He really liked him? Bokuto Koutarou liked  _ him _ , Akaashi Keiji? Eyes wet with tears, he could only protest weakly, “W-we don’t even know much about each other, Bokuto-san! How could we promise to marry each other even before we’ve dated?”

“That’s easy!” he exclaimed with a hopeful smile, “Then, before we get married in June, would you give me the chance to get to know you better?” he suggested.

“June?” Akaashi laughed wetly, “What makes you so sure I would agree to getting married that early?”  _ It was already the 25th of April! Really, this man.. _ .

“You’ll see,” Bokuto promised with a grin. “Well?”

Still hesitant, Akaashi bit his lip in contemplation. Was this really okay? Would it really be fine for him to do this? Wasn’t it unprofessional and unbecoming of a wedding planner, getting proposed to at a client’s wedding?

Bokuto squeezed his hand and he stared back into his golden eyes, “My mom used to say that I shouldn’t let any of my thorns get in the way of what could be, Akaashi. You shouldn’t too.”

The crowd waited with baited breath, completely absorbed in the scene unfolding before their eyes. Frankly, Konoha just wanted to know if he won three thousand yen or if he somehow already lost his dignity for a week.

As a last ditch effort to save his (nonexistent) dignity, Konoha called out, “Oh god, please say yes. Otherwise he’ll keep sending over flowers until you agree, and I don’t know how long I can last with my pollen allergy.” The rest of their makeshift audience erupted into approving calls, egging Akaashi on to say yes. Akaashi looked up at the stage where the bride and the groom stood. Kobayashi beamed at him and called out, “Say yes!”

He felt his face heat up. Bokuto stared up at him, still on one knee, with hopeful eyes, “Well?”

Since Akaashi wasn’t so good with words, he had to make it clear through his actions. The wedding planner took the bouquet of roses and Bokuto’s hand, pulling him up and giving him a tight hug. The people surrounding them clapped and shouted their well-wishes. He felt Bokuto’s heart beating fast against his own and he relaxed into his hold. Bokuto leaned in closer, whispering, “I don’t have to hide it anymore, right?”

“Hm, what do you mean?” Akaashi asked as Bokuto pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“Did you check what any of the flowers I gave you meant?” he asked, stroking Akaashi’s hair.

“No?” Was he supposed to? He looked down at the bouquet he was currently holding against his chest. He didn’t know anything about flowers…

Bokuto shook his head, “It’s okay. I’ll just tell you this time.” He pulled the wedding planner in for a kiss, their hearts finally beating as one.

Maybe he didn’t need to find out on his own, he thought as he smiled against the searing kiss. Because Bokuto would make certain he knew what it meant.

* * *

With a disgusted groan, Konoha groaned, “I can’t believe they stole our client’s special moment.”

“Konoha, shut up and enjoy the show,” Yukie retorted. The rest of their group watched as Akaashi laughed at whatever his new lover whispered in his ear. “Who knows when we’ll see Akaashi like this again?” Komi added.

“Hopefully, we get to see it everyday,” Kaori chirped.

Konoha shook his head and thought,  _ well, at least Akaashi was happy… But - _

“Don’t forget my three-thousand yen,” Konoha added with a smug tone and everyone groaned. He wasn’t going to let anyone live this one down, Akaashi’s anger be damned.

And what of Akaashi and Bokuto?

They didn’t marry that June, much to Bokuto’s disappointment. But he didn’t let that get him down. Every date they went on from that day on, Bokuto never failed to ask for his hand in marriage, patiently waiting for that fateful day when Akaashi finally said yes.

(And finally, on their 45th date - he said yes. Not that Bokuto was keeping count.)

**Author's Note:**

> i used _hanakotoba_ for this fic!
> 
> the flowers i used had these meanings:
> 
> dahlias: elegance and grace  
> four-leaf clover: good luck, be mine  
> red roses: i love you, love, beauty, passion, romance  
> red tulips: declaration of love, true love, eternal love, romantic love, believe me
> 
> also, you can follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/B0KUAKA_) if you want uwu  
> thank you for reading!! ❤︎


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